Veils of Revenge and Lies
by Oriax Ailaht
Summary: Taniyama Maiko is the daughter of the deceased Emperor of Japan, killed by an unknown assassin.  Shibuya Narumi is the last survivor of his clan and village.  Unknowingly, they both hold a grudge against each other... Edo Period 1840 Please R&R/subscribe!


**Hello everyone~! ^_^ I am finally back with my new remake of "Betrayal of the Dark". (changed the title if you haven't noticed already :P) And yes, I did more research... so I *crosses fingers* it sounds better! I am hoping to at least get a couple chapters throughout the rest of 2011 and get some of those requests, from LLLLOOONNNGGG ago, finished. Disclaimer please?**

**Yasuhara: CH does not own any of the _Ghost Hunt_ plot lines and the characters. All belongs to Fuyumi Ono!**

**_Summary:_**

_Taniyama Maiko is the daughter of the deceased Emperor of Japan, killed by an unknown assassin. Because of this traumatic incident, she conceals all her feelings in her heart and becomes aloof and cold to the people. Nevertheless, she takes over the throne when she was 16 and travels around the country to suppress evil spirits at holy spots with her strange divination powers. _

_Shibuya Narumi is the last survivor of his clan and village. Vowing to avenge his family's death, he joins the ninja clan of Koka and grows up in his childhood as a trained killer. His demeanor is very sarcastic and sly, but normally, he is keeps his personality hidden and tend to scare them with his ability to be silent and swift. He __also possesses an abnormal power to move objects, exert pressure up to tons, and communicate to a certain someone with his powers.  
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_Unknowingly, they both hold a grudge against each other... and don't know how much their lives entwine together... _

**(BTW, Mai's and Naru's names are going to be altered slightly... ****)**

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><p><em>Prologue:<em>

Flames surrounded him everywhere. Bodies of people lay littered on the floor, the rich crimson blood soaking into the dry soil. Screams and shouts pierced the air as the whistles of swords silenced their voices. Everything was gone.

"IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR!" some men yelled out.

"AFTER THAT SURVIVING BOY!" another shouted as soon as he caught sight of a young boy darting through the alleys.

The child's body felt heavy and ragged as he sprinted away, trying to shake off the trail of his pursuers. He felt like crying, his blood dripping down from his elbow and his bruised legs willing to give in. This wasn't supposed to happen... None of it was supposed to be...

Suddenly, he tripped, his face scraping against the ground, more blood pouring out from his check. The young child staggered to his feet and continued to run, his lungs gulping for more and more air. His sandals came undone and were ripped off his feet. But he didn't care, the boy continued to run barefoot all the way to the cave on the outskirts of town.

The moonlight lightened up the beaten path as he sunk low into the shadows, covering his tracks the best he could. A river came into viewand he frowned at its lightly churning waters. I might as well get in to hide my scent from the dogs, the young boy thought.

He painfully rolled up his short pants to mid-thigh, and proceeded into the cold waters of the river. Minutes passed while wadding/running in the shallow waters, He found myself at a mouth of a cave. His heart beat faster and his breath grew to short pants as he stepped to the entrance.

"Ka-san! Outou-san! Are you there?" he shouted, his voice riveting off the cave walls, and echoes following after it.

But no one answered. The eerie silence sent chills through his bones, as he walked into the cave, wet puddles forming underneath his feet. "Anyone here?" he yelled again, until he felt a warm sticky substance on the soles of his feet. The child examined it, to find that it was blood. And fresh corpses sprawled on the ground, including his parents... And his only brother...

"NNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He cried out in anguish, as his knees buckled out from underneath him, making the young chilf collapse to the floor. He sat there and sobbed for his dead family.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps from behind him as his body stiffened, and prepared himself for anything that was coming his way.

"Hey there little boy... Why are you crying?" a voice asked as the young boy swiveled around, tear streaks visible on his face and his strong dark eyes staring at the stranger.

The boy didn't reply as the stranger took a longer look inside the cave, his eyebrows furrowing. "Oh my... No wonder you are crying..." More tears came and the boy tried in vain to stifle his cries.

"Otōsan... Okāsan... Nīsan..." and he cried harder, clenching his fists against the soil.

The stranger looked bewildered at the boy's action, as if he had never seen it before. He then started to scratch his chin thoughtfully. "What's your name?"

"... Narumi... Shibuya Narumi..." the boy sniffed.

"Take my hand. If you come with me, then you will have a family again... And you shall not suffer any longer."

The boy's gritted his teeth together, his mind a jumble of thoughts. _Should I...? _The stranger cocked his head coyly, awaiting his answer. Finally, the boy reluctantly gave in and grabbed the stranger's hand. "Excellent. Welcome to the Koka Ninja Village."

_I shall avenge your deaths... By making the Emperor pay with his life...  
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><p>"O-O-Otōsan?" a young girl asked as she wobbled over to him, extending her hand to shake him awake.<p>

But her fingers retracted quickly when she felt his cold clammy skin against hers and blood pooling out from underneath the middle-aged man's body. A shadow was cast over her father's dead body, and her. It belonged to someone dressed in black, and his face was veiled by his dark mask and the darkness. A necklace hung over his neck, hidden away slightly by his clothes.

She could feel his icy glares from behind the mask as she tried to scoot away from the intruder as much as possible. But she was stopped by a whirling shuriken that embedded itself into a wall, mere inches away from her head.

"Well, Ojōsama... How does it feel to be on the verge of death?" a teasing yet sinister voice called out form behind the mask. The said princess started to whimper and cower along the wall. She said nothing.

"Well... ANSWER ME!" the man shouted as he threw another shuriken at her. It landed right beside her feet as she let out a small scream of fear, covering her face with her sleeves.

"That's it..." the assassin muttered as he shook the blood from his sword. "I love to hear my victims scream before they die. It's such a pleasurable thing!" he cackled as he waved his sword around wildly.

"You evil man..." she whispered fearfully.

"Hmm? Did you say something my princess?"

"..."

Suddenly, his eyes turned serious as his playful air became dark and murderous. "I have had enough of your little games now..." His voice lowered as he extended his weapon in front of him and approached her.

"Prepare to meet Kami-sama in the afterlife!" the man grinned as the glint of sliver came arching down. The young girl bit her bottom lip, and screwed her eyes shut, ready to surrender her life away. A slash and a rip was heard and the girl felt her body fall back, her world turning black.

~...~

"Oh my gosh! Ojōsama is awake!" a servant shouted as people started bustle around her door for a better view. A line of servants filled the room as each one tended to the awakening princess. She blinked blearily as she suddenly snapped to attention. She grabbed the nearby servant by the hems of their clothes.

"Where is Otōsan? Is he oka-" but she stopped mid-sentence as the servants tried to avoid her stares. Some of them dabbled their eyes with their sleeves.

"N-no... It can't b-be!"

Suddenly, a man of great status strolled into the room, shoving people aside to make way. He wore thin wiry glasses and his eyes slanted and evil looking. The man held a scroll as he cleared his throat and unraveled it.

"Addressed to Taniyama Maiko-sama. Because your father, Taniyama Toshiaki, has passed away, I hereby announce that I, Chancellor Hideki Yoshiru, shall assume the throne, in the place of his Excellency. Meanwhile, Maiko-sama shall resume her studies under her mother's specialty, divination powers. When she comes to age, I shall pass the crown to her, and she will become the true Empress of Japan. Do you, Taniyama Maiko-sama, accept these terms and regulations?"

The girl tightened her grip on her bedsheets as she struggled to either accept or decline. _Should I...? _She clutched the necklace that she tore off the assassin's neck at the last second, before she blacked out. It was the symbol of the Koka Ninja Village.

"I accept these terms and regulations," Maiko-sama said as she took the scroll into her hands.

_I shall find my father's killer and avenge his death... _

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><p><strong>So...? How ya like it? PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS PEOPLE! :D<strong>

**Over and Out,**

**-CH  
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